Ivan's Biography:
Ivan Moscovich is known by many descriptors- a survivor, an inventor, an artist, and an inspiration, to name a few. Many who know Ivan, however, ‘a friend’ is how they describe him most fondly, with a smile.
Ivan grew up in Novi Sad, in former Yugoslavia. His father Emile, an art photographer, was killed by Hungarian fascists during a raid in 1942. Ivan and the rest of his family were deported to Auschwitz, where he was selected for forced labor. After an odyssey through six camps, Ivan experienced the last days of war in Bergen-Belsen, having arrived there from the Ahlem concentration camp. At Belsen, he hid on a pile of corpses in one of the barracks to escape the hard work of dragging bodies into mass graves. In general, he reports, it was friendship, creativity, chance and his absolute will to survive that helped him get through the Holocaust.
Despite the unthinkable experiences Ivan had to endure in his early life, luck has touched Ivan frequently. “Everything is a result of serendipity”. From his life-saving encounters during the Holocaust to meeting the love of his life Anitta, on a bus in 1950, to his “discovery” by Mattel founders Elliot and Ruth Handler in 1968 at the Tel Aviv Science Museum, Ivan’s embrace of fortuitous quirks of fate has shaped the direction of his life.
He became the founder, and later the director, of the Tel Aviv Science Museum and Planetarium, and developed most of its exhibits.
Since hitting the big time in the toy industry, this self-titled workaholic has released a brilliant repertoire of inventive products and has worked with well over 100 international toy, game, and publishing companies. In total, Ivan has licensed 111 puzzles, toys, and games, and he has written 69 books— most of them bestsellers. What’s most enjoyable to see is how kids and adults equally are enlightened and engaged by Ivan’s perplexing and luminous inventions and puzzle challenges.
Ivan was a very modest person who did not make a fuss about his success story, yet his incredible written biography “The Puzzleman” should be told and made accessible to the public.
As the inventor of the Harmonograph, he has created an imaginative, artistic aesthetic that is unrivalled to this day.
His original fine art, which he made using his Harmonograph machine, was recently exhibited for the first time in decades at The Hospital Club in London and Los Angeles.
He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the toys and games industry in 2019.
Though the very first reward he mentions in his book, before any award or recognition, is his “profoundly happy life” with his “small and beautiful family”. His wife Anitta, his daughter Hila and his granddaughter Emilia - his three girls who he loved so dearly.
A playful and kind person to his core, he absolutely adored the dogs in his life. From Wolfi, to Basco, Punk, and Lola.
The pieces of this Puzzleman’s life, both the light and even the dark, are what make Ivan’s impact through toys and games so intricate, layered, genuine, and fun.
Though his survival of some of the worlds darkest horrors may have been part of his story, he never allowed them to define him.
Ivan Moscovich left a radiant mark on anything he touched and lived a happy, impressive, legendary, and full life.
His inspiration and legacy will continue on.
Ivan's Biography:
Ivan Moscovich is known by many descriptors- a survivor, an inventor, an artist, and an inspiration, to name a few. Many who know Ivan, however, ‘a friend’ is how they describe him most fondly, with a smile.
Ivan grew up in Novi Sad, in former Yugoslavia. His father Emile, an art photographer, was killed by Hungarian fascists during a raid in 1942. Ivan and the rest of his family were deported to Auschwitz, where he was selected for forced labor. After an odyssey through six camps, Ivan experienced the last days of war in Bergen-Belsen, having arrived there from the Ahlem concentration camp. At Belsen, he hid on a pile of corpses in one of the barracks to escape the hard work of dragging bodies into mass graves. In general, he reports, it was friendship, creativity, chance and his absolute will to survive that helped him get through the Holocaust.
Despite the unthinkable experiences Ivan had to endure in his early life, luck has touched Ivan frequently. “Everything is a result of serendipity”. From his life-saving encounters during the Holocaust to meeting the love of his life Anitta, on a bus in 1950, to his “discovery” by Mattel founders Elliot and Ruth Handler in 1968 at the Tel Aviv Science Museum, Ivan’s embrace of fortuitous quirks of fate has shaped the direction of his life.
He became the founder, and later the director, of the Tel Aviv Science Museum and Planetarium, and developed most of its exhibits.
Since hitting the big time in the toy industry, this self-titled workaholic has released a brilliant repertoire of inventive products and has worked with well over 100 international toy, game, and publishing companies. In total, Ivan has licensed 111 puzzles, toys, and games, and he has written 69 books— most of them bestsellers. What’s most enjoyable to see is how kids and adults equally are enlightened and engaged by Ivan’s perplexing and luminous inventions and puzzle challenges.
Ivan was a very modest person who did not make a fuss about his success story, yet his incredible written biography “The Puzzleman” should be told and made accessible to the public.
As the inventor of the Harmonograph, he has created an imaginative, artistic aesthetic that is unrivalled to this day.
His original fine art, which he made using his Harmonograph machine, was recently exhibited for the first time in decades at The Hospital Club in London and Los Angeles.
He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the toys and games industry in 2019.
Though the very first reward he mentions in his book, before any award or recognition, is his “profoundly happy life” with his “small and beautiful family”. His wife Anitta, his daughter Hila and his granddaughter Emilia - his three girls who he loved so dearly.
A playful and kind person to his core, he absolutely adored the dogs in his life. From Wolfi, to Basco, Punk, and Lola.
The pieces of this Puzzleman’s life, both the light and even the dark, are what make Ivan’s impact through toys and games so intricate, layered, genuine, and fun.
Though his survival of some of the worlds darkest horrors may have been part of his story, he never allowed them to define him.
Ivan Moscovich left a radiant mark on anything he touched and lived a happy, impressive, legendary, and full life.
His inspiration and legacy will continue on.
